sutra means A rule or thesis in Sanskrit grammar or Hindu law or philosophy. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
sutra is pronounced /ˈsuːtɹə/.
Why “sutra” is a great word
SUTRA — [Noun] A rule, thesis, or scriptural discourse in the Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain traditions, originally denoting a thread or string. From Sanskrit सूत्र (sū́tra, "thread, yarn, string; rule"), from the Proto-Indo-European root *syū- ("to bind, sew"). First recorded in English 1795–1805. Unlike *sutta* (which specifically denotes the Buddha’s discourses in the Pāli Canon) or *aphorism* (which is a secular, literary maxim), a sutra is a sacred filament—a binding thread of doctrine. It is the minimalist cord that strings together the pearls of a philosophical system, the taut line upon which a meditator's breath is measured, and the guiding strand that leads through the labyrinth of existence; a testament to how the profoundest truths are delivered not as a built edifice, but as a spool of guiding thread.
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit सूत्र (sū́tra, “thread, yarn, string; rule”). Doublet of sutta; more distantly related to sew and suture.
noun
- A rule or thesis in Sanskrit grammar or Hindu law or philosophy.
- A scriptural narrative, especially a discourse of the Buddha.“Shepard: This Code of the Justicar seems central to your life.
Samara: It is five thousand sutras, and covers every situation one can encounter. I have memorized every word. There is only the Code.”